Energy Potential of Biogas Production in Ukraine

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1		Taras Hutsol	+ 2498 word(s)	2498	2022-02-25 08:47:46	\|
2	format corrected.	Beatrix Zheng	-6 word(s)	2492	2022-02-28 03:35:26	\| \|
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This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/en15051710

The production and use of biogas in Ukraine has great prospects due to favorable climatic conditions and great potential for the development of biogas production. Obtaining biogas from organic leftovers that come from the agricultural sector is considered to be an important vector of renewable energy development. Biogas can be used in different ways. It can be burned in heating installations, for example, or, in its enriched form, it can be employed in vehicle engines as a fuel. Moreover, cogeneration plants can produce electricity, which then can be sold or used in the manufactories’ own production.

biogas biogas power plants biogas waste agricultural raw material

1. Introduction

The overall development of a country depends on the production output of its industrial, agricultural, and service sectors. Nevertheless, an extensive increase in production is not always beneficial in terms of social and economic welfare. In a situation of constant deterioration of the ecological state in the entirety of a nation, region, or a local community, the minimization of the negative influence on the natural environment becomes the bottom line. A modern solution to the problem of economic development in a country such as Ukraine is transiting to resource-efficient, environmentally safe, low-waste technologies. However, this process is complex, capital intensive, and implies the rejection of more traditional means of manufacturing ^[1].

Thus, great attention is paid to searching for new technologies and improving the current ones by enhancing their economic efficiency level and expanding their scope of use. One of the most prominent directions of energy development in the world is making the best possible use of renewable energy sources and, hence, increasing their share in the overall energy resource supply. This last is predicated by the necessity of decreasing the number of harmful emissions in the atmosphere and reducing dependence upon imported energy sources ^[2].

In recent years, renewable energy sources have become one of the main criteria of energy security throughout the world. The principal reasons are the prospected depletion of fossil fuels, the rapid price increase of energy sources, uncertainty of stability of supply, and reliability of procurement. Moreover, the negative effect on the environment is leading to grave consequences that concern society in more ways that are becoming explicit. In many countries, renewable energy utilization significantly augments current energy capacities, thus, delivering security and enhancing the social and economic situation. Ukraine, unfortunately, may be listed among those that are dependent on energy resource imports. Consequently, the development of renewable energy is crucial to expanding its state of energy security. A reduction in expensive energy source imports will lead to a decrease in Ukraine’s dependency upon other nations and prevent instability related to ongoing energy crises ^[2].

One further reason for the increased utilization of renewable energy sources is that in order to ensure economic development, overall energy consumption has become higher since the normal functioning of industrial enterprises, thermal power stations, and transport activities need a constant flow of energy inputs. The main sources of energy are coal, natural gas, gasoline, kerosene (paraffin), and mazut (which are derived from petroleum). Meanwhile, vehicle engines, industrial facilities, and thermal power stations increase carbon dioxide emissions (a greenhouse gas). The reduction of CO₂ emissions by transitioning to the use of renewable energy sources and lowering the energy capacity of businesses is the primary means of combating climate change. Renewable and ecologically safe energy sources are recognized as being the most auspicious way to accomplish this goal ^[3].

The production of renewable energy becomes especially significant in the context of global alterations of climate conditions. However, some countries possess certain features that expand the role of ecologically beneficial energy. Ukraine can be mentioned as an example of a nation that is not self-sufficient in terms of energy delivery and is heavily dependent on weakly diverse energy source imports. This systematically leads to socio-economic tensions with geopolitical consequences ^[4].

In recent years, due to the global energy crisis, agricultural production and waste have come to be perceived as potential fuel sources. Waste products of plant production are, for example, created in enterprises that process agricultural crops. In Ukraine, the utilization of plant by-products began in the year 2000 with the construction of a pilot plant generating electricity by burning straw. This had a capacity of 980 kW/h. The technology was based on the Danish experience. In the short time since, the Ukrainian company UTEM has begun to produce similar boilers using a license agreement made with the Danish firm BWSC ^[5].

Nowadays, it is impossible to anticipate ecological crises and not make use of modern eco-biotech technologies involving the processing of solid and fluid waste generated during agro-industrial production. However, the prospects for the successful development of the biogas industry need more fundamental analysis, wherein economic, ecological, and sociological factors are taken into consideration ^[6].

The potential of Ukraine in terms of biogas production is enormous since the country has a well-developed agro-industry, the leftovers of which generate a perfect raw material base. The energy that is received from biomass, therefore, can become a tangible substitute for ‘traditional’ carbohydrate fuel.

Biofuel production requires a biogas complex, an engineering and technical facility that processes organic waste into biomethane. Ukraine has great raw material opportunities and favorable tariffs for electricity from renewable sources, so biogas is promising for the development of renewable energy ^[7].

Ukraine has highly developed agricultural sectors that annually produce a large number of wastes and residues ^[8]. Today, agricultural waste is considered a valuable secondary energy resource. Developed agricultural production has a strong potential for biogas production, which can be produced from a wide range of organic substrates of both animal and plant origin. The advantage of biomass is its renewability and relatively cheap cost compared to traditional fuels. The benefits of using the potential of biomass and household waste are quite significant because raw materials in the form of litter and various types of waste are available throughout Ukraine. It is also important that modern biofuel plants are relatively compact and can employ different types of raw materials. This versatility allows them to be placed in close proximity to facilities that are planned to provide energy or heat from these resources ^[2].

Considering all the features and specific conditions, a properly designed biogas complex is able not only to recoup the cost of its construction but also, in the long run, to bring additional income from the sale of electricity at a green tariff. Today, renewable energy shows an annual increase of 1% in market share, which will only increase with time. In addition to the impact on the environment in the form of reducing carbon emissions and disposal of livestock and crop waste, the development of the biogas market will reduce dependence on fossil fuels, hasten biotechnical and bioengineering development, and smooth peak loads in the grid by connecting additional cogeneration facilities ^[9].

The benefits of using biogas are not only found in the production of alternative energy but also in that it is the solution to a myriad of environmental problems because, through proper disposal and processing of agricultural and household waste, biogas production can prevent methane emissions into the atmosphere. In addition, the uncontrolled growth in household and industrial waste leads to problems of land and water pollution due to loss of containment in landfills and implies a considerable cost for disposal. Given that the cost of fossil resources is growing and that they are a limited resource, the development of alternative energy is inevitable. This is driven not only by the ever-deteriorating environmental situation but also by economic expedience. Each new biogas complex reduces dependence on purchased fuel and, ultimately, indirectly affects the country’s economy ^[3].

These factors are relevant, have practical significance, and have determined the choice of the research topic. In this context, the entry analyzes the current state and prospects of biogas production and use in Ukraine and assesses the economic, environmental, and social effects and benefits of biogas production. The materials used are the following: information from the State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine, the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, and scientific articles of domestic and foreign scientists on the research topic.

Recently, the problems of production and use of biogas have been the subject of numerous researches by foreign and domestic scientists. Accordingly, one of the promising areas of energy saving in agricultural enterprises is the production of biogas as a type of renewable energy source. The main advantage of biogas production is the opportunity to make use of available and inexhaustible sources of industrial, domestic, and agricultural waste raw materials ^[10].

Implementation of biogas projects in Ukraine will bring about moderate structural changes; initially, these will take the form of a slowdown in coal production, natural gas, steam, and hot water supply. In the longer term, the largest change will be observable in the case of coal, the demand for which is declining due to its replacement with solid and gaseous biofuels. However, expanded use of biogas projects requires significant modernization of existing energy networks and infrastructure ^[11].

In the European Union (EU), the use of biogas is mainly aimed at producing electricity and heat. However, there are cases of converting biogas into biomethane, which is introduced into the natural gas network or used as biofuel in vehicles. In this last direction, the current reality in several countries of the north-central part of the European Union deserves attention, as these have implemented effective policies to promote the use of biomethane for public and private transport ^[12].

2. Current Insights

The energy needs of the population and the global environmental crisis are forcing the countries of the world to introduce and apply alternative means of energy production. There is a need, therefore, to find innovative energy sources that do not harm the environment and have a significant economic effect. The development of the country’s economy depends on many factors, including the volume of industrial production, agricultural products, and others. However, in modern conditions, an extensive increase in production is not always appropriate and socio-economically justified. Ukrainian publications raise the issue of energy independence as an important issue. Over the past, Ukrainian scientists have intensified their efforts to analyze the environmental situation in the country, its regions, and specific localities, and the new task for business units is to minimize the negative impact on the environment. The transition to the use of resource-saving, environmentally friendly, low-waste technologies is a modern challenge for Ukraine’s economy, but this process is complex and capital-intensive. In addition, it involves the abandonment of conventional management methods ^[1]^[13].

The demand for alternative energy sources in the world is growing every year. The technologies of biogas production deserve special attention. Ukraine has great potential for producing biomass available for energy use. The largest amount of agricultural biomass is formed in the areas located in the central, south-eastern, and southern regions of the country, that is, in places most favorable for growing crops ^[14].

The attention to the issues of rational waste management in Ukraine by both the authorities and scientific circles has significantly increased in recent years. A solution to the problem is possible through implementing effective measures for rapid, safe recycling of waste and obtaining a positive economic and environmental effect from the disposal and reuse of raw materials. At the same time, biogas of organic biomass, regardless of origin, can be significant competition to traditional fuels due to the low cost of source material ^[15].

Obtaining biogas from organic residues in the agricultural sector of the economy is considered one of the important vectors for the development of renewable energy. As noted in the introduction, one of the priority areas of Ukraine’s energy policy is to increase the use of biomass for electricity and heat production ^[3]. It should be noted that in the EU countries, the use of biogas is also mainly aimed at electricity and heat production. In addition, biogas is converted into biomethane, which can be introduced into the natural gas network or used as biofuel in vehicles ^[16]. It is noteworthy that several countries in the north-central part of the European Union have implemented effective policies to promote the use of biomethane for public and private transport ^[12].

It is estimated that the prospects for biogas production in Europe indicate a tenfold increase in production by 2030. It is now believed that in biogas production, it is better to focus on less conflicting raw material resources, such as livestock manure, agricultural waste, and residues that do not compete with agricultural land used for food production. This model is advocated by Denmark, which opened its first manure-based biogas plant in 1975. The country began developing biomethane after the adoption of the national “energy agreement” for 2012–2020. As a result, biomethane now accounts for about 10% of what is introduced into the natural gas network. The Danish model has become the gold standard in Europe and has greatly inspired others, such as France and Italy. Ukraine, too, has entered into the global trend of replacing fossil energy sources (natural gas, oil, coal) with renewable ones, including biogas.

Ukraine does not neglect the global challenges of humanity, in particular, the problems of climate change and adaptation to these changes. The country is a party to the Paris Climate Agreement and has already expressed its intention to implement the principles of the European Green Course. The concept of the green energy transition of Ukraine until 2050 has been developed and presented on paper. Energy production is the main source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in the world, and therefore the introduction of renewable energy sources, enhancing energy efficiency, and practicing energy conservation play key roles. Considering the possibilities of biogas production in Ukraine, it is worth noting the significant potential that exists due to the available biological waste and agricultural raw materials ^[17].

Biogas production is an attractive alternative in terms of energy production. Given the almost inexhaustible raw material resources, the attention of the state is directed towards attracting more and more opportunities for biogas production ^[18]. It should be underlined that this type of fuel is multifunctional and can make use of existing transportation infrastructure. The growth of biogas plants in Europe has been driven primarily by government policies to improve environmental protection and combat greenhouse gas emissions due to low recycling of household and industrial waste. Methane (a component of biogas), which is formed during the decomposition of waste, without processing, pollutes the air and thus complicates the environmental situation. Therefore, European countries support and encourage through “green” tariffs and preferential interest rates on loans for such projects, companies that process household and other organic waste and are engaged in the production of biogas with subsequent production of electricity, heat, and bioethanol ^[7].

In order to achieve the set goals in the development of Ukraine as a viable, independent nation, the choice of marketing concepts to be followed is important. That which needs to be practiced is one in which the enterprise meets the needs of consumers without conflicting with the long-term needs of society ^[19]. Production of biogas fulfills this obligation.

References

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1. Introduction

2. Current Insights

References